May 2016 Newsletter - Sunset Hills Neighborhood Association

S
Sunset Hills May 2016
Greensboro, North Carolina
Annual Neighborhood Events
January
February
March
Neighborhood Meeting
Easter Egg Hunt
April
Great American Clean-up
May
Annual Pig Picking
June
July
July 4th Parade and Picnic
August
National Night Out
September
Big Sweep Event
October
Halloween Party in the Park
November
December
Lighted Christmas Balls
Food Drive, Running of the Balls
“How Old Is That?”
ByTroy Hopkins
I often think that the simple question “how old is that” is
a universal one. It’s not a question confined to a specific
culture. But rather, it is born out of something common
to all. It’s a question everyone will wonder about, ask,
and seek answers to at some point in life. Whether it’s
about an old car, the town you grew up in, your house,
or even something as mundane as date of an old coin you
unexpectedly find, you will ask “How old is that?” We look
for reflections of who we are when we look at the past. You
see, I think we’re all fellow historians. We rally around a
great story. And each of us has one to tell.
An early designer of houses in Sunset Hills has his own
story. Colonial Revival and Tudor homes built in the 1920’s
were designed and architected by a man who would later
serve as senior architect at the White House, a post he would
serve for twenty years. Architect Lorenzo S. Winslow
designed most of the homes in Sunset Hills that were built
between 1924 and 1930. He was a graduate of MIT where he
studied engineering and architecture. During World War
(continued on page 18)
Sunset Hills Neighborhood Association
Board of Directors
Co- Presidents
Joann Strack
Carl Phillips
joannstrack@gmail.com
cwpjr5524@aol.com
Vice-President
Secretary
Kerry Meyers
kerry.meyers@gmail.com
Treasurer
Elaine Brune Mail dues to: sunsethillsgsonc@gmail.com
2504 Sylvan Rd.
Neighborhood Watch
Doug Thurbon dougnkaren@att.net
Neighborhood Watch / Block Captain Coordinator
Elaine Brune
bardsley-brune@triad.rr.com
Transportation Committee Chair
Gerry Alfano
mtisdel@att.net 272-3512
Social Events - OPEN
Environmental Affairs - OPEN
Garden Club Representative
Mary Jacke maryjacke@yahoo.com
Web site coordinator
Robin Timmins
timmins203@gmail.com
Listserv coordinator
Carl Phillips
Historian
Troy Hopkins
Newsletter Team
Elaine Brune and
Roger Bardsley
Carlee Dempsey Carl Phillips
Carole Potter Marlene Pratto Robin Timmins
cwpjr5524@aol.com
troy.hopkins@lfg.com
bardsley-brune@triad.rr.com 378-1990
dempseyc18@gmail.com
cwpjr5524@aol.com
cllindse@gmail.com
mrpsunset@gmail.com
timmins203@gmail.com
Representative to the Neighborhood Congress
Mike Pendergraft, Gerry Alfano
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Sunset Hills
Sources of Neighborhood Information
The Sunset Hills Neighborhood Association has
a website, Facebook page, and a listserv. Many
pictures of neighborhood events appear in color on
the website and on the Facebook page.
Get to know your neighbors in text and print and learn
the news: http://www.sunsethillsneighborhood.org.
The information tab contains a list of tradespeople
recommended by neighbors. If you are not on the
listserv go to Email listserv and submit your email
address to be added as a member of the monitored
listserv. The neighborhood Facebook page is:
https://www.facebook.com/SunsetHillsGSO
When you have a question about tradespeople,
spot a stray dog or cat or note something unusual,
submit a message to the listserv and the message
goes out to all the members. The listserv is
monitored to keep the messages relevant to this
area and on topics about the neighborhood. You
must have paid your 2016 dues to submit a nonemergency message to the listserv.
DUES are due in January. However, it is never
too late to pay for the current year. Please remit
your $10 directly to the treasurer, Elaine Brune
at 2504 Sylvan Rd. Checks for more than $10
will be accepted as donations to the Sunset
Hills Neighborhood Association.
Rates for 2016 Newsletter Advertising
$20- biz card size
$40- 1/4 pg (3.5 x 4.5)
$80- 1/2 pg (3.75x9.75)
$160- full pg(7.5x9.75)
Add $10 if your dues are not up-to-date. Contact
Carl or Marlene (see Newsletter Team on the left) to
arrange for an ad. Then send your check to Elaine
Brune, address above. Thanks to our advertisers for
helping to offset the cost of this newsletter.
http://www.sunsethillsneighborhood.org
May 2016
This wonderful neighborhood
comes together every holiday season
to create beauty through our lighted
balls. Even more importantly, Sunset
Hills is a major player in raising
money for Guilford County’s food
banks through The Running of the
Balls and donations, and through
food collection trailers throughout
Sunset Hills. The totals for this past
December were almost $58,000 and
over 20,000 pounds of food, enough
to provide over 300,000 meals to
those in need.
Be sure to see the flyer on page 19
about the Second Harvest Food Bank
and all they do to fight hunger.
Cone Health – Volunteers are always needed
within the many facilities within Greensboro.
Whether you are volunteering in one of our
great gift shops or assisting patients and
families, you will find health care volunteer
work incredibly rewarding. Please take 30
minutes of your valuable time to attend an
information session and learn all about our
fantastic volunteer programs. The information
sessions are held at Moses Cone Hospital on
the 1st Wednesday of every month at Noon and
the 3rd Wednesday of every month at 5:30pm.
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Sunset Hills
https://www.facebook.com/SunsetHillsGSO
May 2016
Help for Today, Hope for Tomorrow
By Kathleen Martinek
Ten days before our annual Team Hope Walk
for Huntington’s Disease, only 30 walkers had
registered and we’d raised just $1000. Not a good
sign, we thought, since last year we topped 200
walkers. With optimism we ordered 125 tee-shirts
and nervously assured ourselves that we could
pull this one off again. As the grass-roots NC
chapter of the Huntington’s Disease Society of
America we often call on our sense of humor and
team spirit to empower us.
And so it happened. We cranked up the publicity,
the outreach, the appeal to neighbors and local
businesses. And they came through!
On that cold, drizzly Saturday April 30 at Bailey
Park in Winston-Salem we had almost 200
participants and tallied up almost $14,000. We had a free lunch of bbq and slaw, KISS FM, balloons, huge families
and lots of energy.
Now it may be the same scenario with every fundraiser
for every organization—it starts out slowly, inches
forward after a period of ‘nothing happening’, and then
numbers build at the end, eventually leading to loud
cheers over the final results.
But I am using this analogy to show how it reflects the
dynamics of HD itself. Once people find out the lifechanging news that they are gene positive for HD they
often
isolate
themselves.
This “devil of
all
diseases,”
as
medical
professionals
call it, is a
directly hereditary brain disorder. Each child of a parent with the
defective Huntington gene has a 50% chance of inheriting the disease.
What starts out as small missteps and a flare-up end up taking a
person’s ability to feel, think and move. Eventually, they become totally
dependent. There is no treatment or cure.
Sometimes people with HD may not even talk with family. One or more
of their siblings may have the defective gene also. They may not know
which parent was affected because (s)he died before clear symptoms
appeared…or their aunt or uncle kept it hidden. And since there is no cure
or effective treatment, there is often no incentive to have the predictive,
(continued on page 5)
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Sunset Hills
http://www.sunsethillsneighborhood.org
May 2016
Rules for posting on the Sunset Hills email listserv:
Please remember this service was started so that neighbors can more easily help each other.
This is not the place for posting opinions or “me, too” messages. The moderator team appreciates your understanding and use of these rules.
1.Only neighbors who have paid their $10.00 association dues are allowed to post non-emergency
emails. Send checks to Elaine Brune, 2504 Sylvan Rd, 27403. Check your status by sending email to
sunsethillsgsonc@gmail.com.
2.If you wish to agree or disagree with a posting, please contact the individual who sent the email.
This can be done by clicking on the “reply to sender” link at the bottom of each post.
3.The listserv cannot be used to vent anger or call names.
4.Un-solicited business recommendations are not permitted. Neighbors may request recommendations and then it is okay to respond.
5.You should personally introduce yourself to immediate neighbors, not post on the listserv.
6.State facts when using the listserv. Opinions should be kept to a minimum, or not expressed at all.
7.NO EMAIL FORWARDING is allowed unless it’s official city or government related business.
8.Events happening in Sunset Hills can be posted; events happening outside the neighborhood cannot
unless a member of the listserv asks a question.
(continued from page 4)
and expensive, blood test. This is what I experienced in my
own family, too.
But when people open themselves up to the resources
through education and awareness programs, publicity,
and support groups, they experience the healing effects
of community and family support. Their symptoms
actually improve and stress is relieved because they
are not alone. Although they’ve lost their jobs, the long,
2-year wait for Medicare approval is diminished and
they can pay their bills. There are others who understand
what they’re going through. They are empowered, just
as we were for the Walk.
The optimism, the guts, the faith and the creative spirit
that surround HD families is real. We are small, but the
North Carolina Chapter of the Huntington’s Disease
Society of America (northcarolina.hdsa.org) and HD
Reach in Raleigh (www.hdreach.org) are on a mission
to support and bring hope to all those affected by one of
life’s most challenging illnesses.
5
Sunset Hills
https://www.facebook.com/SunsetHillsGSO
May 2016
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Sunset Hills
http://www.sunsethillsneighborhood.org
May 2016
N e w s f r o m L i n d l ey E l emen t ary
by Becky Deakins
At Lindley, we are wrapping up another fun school year. We just had a festive Spring Carnival and are busy
registering little ones for Kindergarten. There is still time for a tour for any neighbors with rising Kindergarteners.
Just call the school anytime (336-294-7360).
And even though our year is wrapping up, there are always volunteer opportunities at Lindley. Here are a few
to keep in mind:
- Test Proctors! End of Grade tests will be given to 3rd, 4th & 5th grade classes on June 1st and 2nd. Proctors
are desperately needed. Many of you know how stretched our schools are for assistants, so these extra hands on
deck during testing keeps the assistants from being pulled out of the other classrooms to help. No experience or
training is necessary. Email our curriculum facilitator, Kim Adame at adamek@gcsnc.com if you can help.
- Garden Volunteers! Families take turns during the summer to help weed, water and harvest our community
garden. It’s a fun and rewarding way to help out while also checking out what the kids are learning in their
lessons in the garden. Also - be sure to look out for our produce on sale at the Corner Market! Please email
Palmer McIntyre at mcintyrepalmer@gmail.com if you’d like to take a shift in the Lindley garden this summer.
- Library Books! Our librarian tries to send home summer reading books for all Lindley students. If you’ve
got extra books for our library or take-home readers, please donate to the Lindley Media Center. Keep in mind
that Lindley is a Title 1 school with many families in need, so these books are treasures for kids who need them.
Contact our librarian, Robin Hardy, at hardyr@gcsnc.com if you have books to donate.
Helpful Gardening Information
For information on gardening in NC
use the NC State University,
A&T State University NC
Cooperative Extension website:
https://gardening.ces.ncsu.edu/.
Lindley Elementary Carnival
Friendly Pharmacy
announces
FREE DELIVERY
Call us today to
transfer your
medications.
https://ncsu.edu/goingnative/howto/mapping/
nplants/index.php
A locally owned
independent pharmacy on
Lawndale Dr. next to
the Fresh Market
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Sunset Hills
Find a video and information on what to do in
May and information on the master gardener
program. Learn how to manage pests, how to
build a raised bed, cover crops, and how to use
native plants in your garden. One area lets you
select your choices and then recommends a
plant for you.
Find host plants for butterfly larvae or nectar
plants to feed butterflies.
This is really a fine service provided to the
people of the state. Check it out.
https://www.facebook.com/SunsetHillsGSO
May 2016
G r e e n s b o r o Pa r t i c i p at o ry Bu d g et i n g Pro cess
Di s t r i c t 4 – Vo t i n g R esu l t s
Funded Projects (all of the projects are in the Sunset Hills and Lindley Park neighborhoods):
Greensboro Arboretum
• Three bridges at the Greensboro Arboretum are rotting and need repairs.
Safety and Environment
Spring Garden & Howard Pedestrian Crosswalk
• This project consists of providing a safer path for pedestrians at the busy restaurant-retail hub, which
includes Hops, Scrambles, Fat Dogs and Barbaritos.
• Create a high visibility, handicap accessible pedestrian crosswalk with improved lighting at each of the
four junctions of the intersections.
Streets Sidewalks & Transportation
Walker Avenue Bridge Railing
• Make Walker Avenue bridge safer for pedestrians crossing Wendover by replacing the bridge railing with
a taller and more aesthetically pleasing design.
Streets Sidewalks & Transportation
Bus Tracking Mobile Application
• A system that will enable city buses to transmit their GPS locations to the cloud. PASSED in All Five Districts
Special projects
Walker Avenue Painted Walkway
• The Walker Avenue Bridge is a major traffic connector that warrants a clearly demarcated pedestrian
walkway, which would make the bridge feel safer to users
Streets Sidewalks & Transportation
Crosswalk Elam & Camden
• This project would entail adding a stop sign and crosswalk to Camden Road and South Elam Avenue.
Safety and Environment
Please contact me if you have any thoughts or questions
Bradley Davis-Rogozinski, Safety and Environment Volunteer Facilitator, bradleyjd1@icloud.com
All of the projects were presented to the city council by City Manager Jim Westmoreland for inclusion in the FY201617 budget. The public hearing on the budget is May 17 and the city council is scheduled to vote on the budget June 7.
The actual completion of the projects will depend on the complexity of the project, the interrelatedness with other
planned community projects and whether the project will require a request for bids.
Vote in the
Primary
Election
on June 7..
This primary is to select candidates to run in
each of the US House districts
in North Carolina.
Early voting will be available. Watch the Board
of Election website for information.
8
Sunset Hills
What are they doing now?
Neighbors mentioned that they would like
to read stories about what children who grew
up in the neighborhood are doing now. One is
Rene Lawrence and she wrote a story for this
issue. Please consider writing a story or stories
of what your child, children, or a neighbor’s
child are doing now. This is one of those things
you can do at any time and submit it. We will
hold it until the next issue. Photos are a great
accompaniment, but are not required. Send to
mrpsunset@gmail.com.
http://www.sunsethillsneighborhood.org
May 2016
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9
Sunset Hills
May 2016
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Avenue, Greensboro • 274-7005
10
Sunset Hills
http://www.sunsethillsneighborhood.org
May 2016
Where is she now?
By Rene Lawrence
One of the nice things about living in the same neighborhood
for 30 years is watching the neighborhood kids grow up. As they
grow up and move out, I sometimes wonder where are they now?
Cassandra Liuzzo, one of our Sunset Hills kids, is the owner of
Shelf Life Art and Supply in the Historic Lawndale Shopping
Center. Cassandra grew up on Elam Ave and her Mom and Dad
still live there. She graduated from Grimsley High School and
went on to earn a BS in Art Education from Appalachian State
University. After student teaching she decided that working in
the public school system was not the best fit for her. But sharing
her knowledge was in her blood. The idea for Shelf Life grew
of her desire for a way to exchange art supplies she no longer
needed.
Cassandra started small in a windowless basement storage room
under the Geeksboro Coffeehouse. Quickly out-growing that space,
she moved to a storefront at 2178 Lawndale Drive, just down the
way from the new Hops. With more space, and yes, a window, she is
able to offer an even broader selection of supplies. Everything from
high-end brands such as Strathmore paper and Gamblin paints to
sets of pre-owned color pencils. By far my favorite part of the store
is the selection of non-traditional art supplies: corks, bottle caps,
cardboard tubes, bits of wire and even odds-and-ends of metal,
all just asking to be turned into something beautiful. In the back
corner of the store, you will discover a selection of North Carolinamade frame moldings. Cassandra is serious about environmental
sustainability; she sources local when possible, stocks brands that
are committed to healthy environmental practices and offers a place
to recycle those forgotten art/craft supplies. She accepts donations
of all types of art supplies or items that can be re-purposed. Donate
and receive store credit.
With more space come new adventures. In the past 4 months Shelf Life
started offering classes. Once again Cassandra is coloring outside the
lines. Along with standard classes such as drawing and jewelry making,
you can also learn to play the Banjo or Mandolin or do a little Tai Chi.
There is an 8 week Making Comics Class and a variety of Mini Summer
Art Camps for the kids. For a complete schedule of classes go to the
web site http://www.shelflifeart.com/ and sign up for the newsletter to
receive updates. Cassandra has hosted several community art projects
such a knit-in for the Knit the Bridge – Lindley Park project, last year.
Coming in June, Shelf Life will host the FRIENDGE project a free
collaborative art event with artist Andrea Vail.
Hard to believe that Shelf Life is only 2 years old because it already it
has the feel of a Greensboro intuition. I asked Cassandra, what’s next?
In November, Cassandra hopes to have her first Shelf Life Salon, featuring local artists displaying in the salon
style. Long term plans are to grow Shelf Life in response to the changing needs of the art community. It looks to
me as if Cassandra and Shelf Life will be here to watch the next group of neighborhood kids grow up.
11
Sunset Hills
https://www.facebook.com/SunsetHillsGSO
May 2016
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Sunset Hills
http://www.sunsethillsneighborhood.org
May 2016
Come Play With Us!
If you’ve been by the corner of Overlook and Market lately,
you may have noticed that First Christian Church has a new
playground. Our previous equipment - which was built as
an Eagle Scout project in 1999 - had been well loved and well
used, and it was time for something new. A crew of volunteers
dismantled the old playground back in February to make way
for the new set, which has swings for babies and big kids, a
climbing wall, two big-kid slides, and a smaller climber and
slide for little ones.
Our kids gave it a test run during our Sunday evening program
for children
and youth,
and judging
by
their
squeals
of
delight,
we think they approve. We are happy for families in the
neighborhood to make use of the playground; all are welcome.
Visit us on the playground anytime, or join us for worship
at 10:00 Sunday mornings. Learn more about First Christian
atfccgreensboro.org or find us on Facebook.
Thanks for being good neighbors!
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Sunset Hills
https://www.facebook.com/SunsetHillsGSO
May 2016
CONFESSSIONS OF A LITTER HATER
By Gerry Alfano
If I had a dollar for every piece of litter that I have picked up over the last 50 years, I would be spending my
retirement in a Tuscan villa. The sight of litter sets my teeth on edge. I can’t resist picking it up and disposing
of it properly. I do a lot of walking, so I have many opportunities to pick up litter. I have noticed in the more
than 28 years that I have been walking in Sunset Hills that, in general, there is less litter in our neighborhood. I
believe it is due to an increased awareness of the damage that litter does. Fewer people seem to be littering and
more residents are picking up litter in the neighborhood. I may not be spending my retirement in luxury, but I
do have the satisfaction of knowing that I have contributed to the health and beauty of our community.
Why is it important to avoid littering and to pick it up when you see it? Studies show that people are less likely
to litter in clean areas than in areas that already are littered. It’s as if the presence of litter gives them permission
to litter. You are also setting a good example for your children. I found it very distressing that there were many
empty candy wrappers all over the neighborhood the morning after Halloween. I believe we should be teaching
our children to pick up after themselves and not to expect others to clean up for them. In addition, some forms
of litter are a danger to pets as well as to feral animals. I have had my dog go after chicken bones when we
were out walking. If you have ever had a dog, you know how dangerous chicken bones can be. We should not
be discarding any form of human food for animals to pick up. Some animals will ingest plastic which can be
deadly. Recently, I have picked up quite a few latex gloves. Yard workers are using them and are being careless
about discarding them.
There seem to be trends in the type of litter that is discarded. When we first moved to Sunset Hills 28 years ago,
our driveway on Friendly was littered with cigarette butts. We must have picked up at least a hundred butts
per week. Now we have to pick up very few, which is probably the result of the decrease in smoking and the
realization that cigarette butts are litter. I have found that there is never a shortage of fast food containers to
pick up. Recently, I have been picking up lots of water bottles. Most likely, it’s due to the fact that so many of
us drink bottled water. Glass bottles and aluminum cans will decompose, but plastic bottles are around forever.
If you use bottled water, you may want to reconsider. It will not only help the environment, but it will also
save you money. And then there are the News and Record’s Clipper Ads. These are delivered, unsolicited,
to residents who do not subscribe to the News and Record. They look like newspapers, but they are a bundle
of ads. Many of them are never picked up and create additional litter in the neighborhood. I have personally
recycled hundreds of these.
I will go on picking up litter as long as I am able to do so. I will continue to believe what I do makes a difference.
Many thanks to all the neighbors who are also picking up litter and keeping our neighborhood clean. This is a
battle we can win if we each do our part to clean up.
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14
Sunset Hills
http://www.sunsethillsneighborhood.org
May 2016
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15
Sunset Hills
https://www.facebook.com/SunsetHillsGSO
May 2016
Stepping out of the neighborhood…
To The Renaissance Community Co-op
By Cheryl Hopkins and Mary Louise Smith
We are fortunate to live in one of the friendliest, most desirable neighborhoods in Greensboro. In addition to our
great neighborhood events and lovely homes, we have some of the best grocery shopping in Greensboro only
a mile or so from home. Maybe that’s why some Sunset Hills neighbors have taken an interest in a food desert
problem in northeast Greensboro.
We (Cheryl and Mary Louise) got involved because we have friends in northeast Greensboro. We heard
from people in the neighborhood about how great a burden it is for folks with low incomes and no cars
to ride multiple buses to go grocery shopping with a two-bag limit on groceries. The only alternative is to
buy expensive, highly-processed food from convenience stores nearby. This neighborhood, centered on and
around Phillips Avenue, is a food desert.
Solving the Problem of a Food Desert
After almost two decades of trying and failing to replace a grocery store on Phillips Avenue, the neighbors came
up with their own new concept – a food co-op that is a full-service grocery store with an emphasis on selling
affordable and conventional healthy foods, unlike most co-ops that emphasize organic foods. They decided to
name the new store the Renaissance Community Co-op (RCC). Cheryl and I were excited to support their efforts.
We have bought shares, attended monthly community meetings and served on a committee since the co-op
began organizing in 2012.
How It Took Shape
With the help of the Fund for Democratic Communities (F4DC), a Greensboro-based foundation serving the
Southeast that specializes in promoting co-operative businesses, the neighbors have sought volunteers, written
by-laws; elected a board of directors, sold owner shares, raised funds and held monthly meetings to involve the
owners in building community and learning how they can support the co-op.
After four years of hard work, construction is now underway at the former Bessemer Shopping Center – now
the Renaissance Shops at Phillips Ave. The co-op’s fundraising is very close to its goal of $2.48 million, with only
$25,000 to go. The RCC board has hired a project manager who will become the store manager when the store
opens in the fall.
How You Can Make a Difference
How does this involve all of us in Sunset Hills? The RCC’s start-up plan includes recruiting 1,000 owners to
buy a $100 lifetime share by opening date this fall. The project is only 230 owners short of that goal. Other
Sunset Hills neighbors have already bought a share, including Melanie and Bo Rodenbough, Larry and Claire
Morse, Marlene Pratto, Michael Roberto and wife Sharon Weber, Matilda Kirby-Smith and husband Alex
Forsyth and others. We hope you will join us. You may say that you’ll never shop there – and that’s okay,
because buying an owner share is a way of supporting a permanent solution to a food desert in Greensboro.
These folks aren’t asking for charity – but they would appreciate our investing in their hard work to get access
to safe, healthy food.
Buying a share can be our way of saying, “We’re with you! We are ONE city – more than a collection of diverse
neighborhoods – and we care.” We invite you to join us in supporting this life-changing project on Phillips
Avenue.
To buy an owner share in the co-op, go to http://renaissancecoop.com/ownership/.
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Sunset Hills
http://www.sunsethillsneighborhood.org
May 2016
Editor’s note: “Stepping out of the
Neighborhood” could well be used for
several articles in this issue and in others.
Neighbors like to read about neighbors
and their activities. We have covered
businesses whose owners live in Sunset
Hills, and organizations that are larger
than the neighborhood, and travels that
are definitely out of the neighborhood. We
want to encourage you to submit articles
focusing on topics similar to these. If you
live in Sunset Hills, please consider writing
an article for the newsletter. We always
send out a reminder that we are getting
ready to produce a new issue, but feel free
to write at any time and we will include
your writing in the next issue. We want to
include writings of our younger neighbors
as well so consider the last scout camp trip,
a story about a school play. Write and see
your name in print!
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Sunset Hills
Cheryl Hopkins, left and Mary Louise Smith, right, with
Renaissance Community Co-op Board Chair John Jones and
Northeast Greensboro community leader Goldie Wells
in front of the Phillips Ave. construction site for the
Renaissance Community Coop, which will open in the fall.
https://www.facebook.com/SunsetHillsGSO
May 2016
(Continued from page 1)
I, serving in the Corps of Engineers, Lorenzo was assigned to
General Pershing’s headquarters between 1917 and 1919. After
the war, he lived in Paris for a year to study architecture and
design. Those European influences can be seen in the homes of
Sunset Hills. He moved to Greensboro by way of an encounter
with Harry Barton at the Pinehurst golf course in 1920. Lorenzo
lived in Greensboro for twelve years, working on such projects
as the renovated Norman Revival First Presbyterian Church in
addition to Sunset Hills.
Winslow moved to Washington DC as a result of the Great
Depression and pursued opportunities resulting from FDR’s
New Deal. The White House architect position was created
specifically by Franklin D. Roosevelt after Lorenzo won a
competition to design a West Wing heated swimming pool to
help FDR’s polio-stricken legs. He was considered one of the
Troy Hopkins
“most influential architects in the history of the White House”.
FDR spoke of Lorenzo’s “excellent taste exhibited in the selection of colors, materials, and proportions.” He
designed the second floor balcony, known as the Truman Balcony, and renovated the Grand Staircase, now
famous and seen in countless movies. The same craftsman who architected and designed wonderful homes
in Sunset Hills binds the architectural character of Greenway Drive to Pennsylvania Avenue. Look for those
signatures on your next walk in the neighborhood. Curious to know if your house is a Lorenzo Winslow?
Sign up for the Sunset Hills listserv to find out.
I’m a fan of history because of the adventure it leads to. My wife and I and our two children have lived in
Sunset Hills for 13 years. Recently, we ripped out ivy that was overgrown from when we purchased our home.
I have always known there were rock boulders underneath the ivy. However, to our
surprise, we discovered a rock wall that looked old. It reminded me of the colonial
The Sunset Hills
rock walls found commonly in New England. We decided to restore the original
Board welcomes
wall, with all the original boulders hidden by the ivy. Ripping out the ivy brought
Troy Hopkins as
out the historian in me, and I spent hours that evening searching the internet, asking
the new Sunset
“how old is that wall?” Now I’ve seen hundreds of similar boulders around yards
Hills Historian.
of Sunset Hills. There are stories yet to be discovered in all those rocks, and maybe
a future article to share.
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Sum me r In s p i ra t i on f o r th e R u n n in g o f t h e Balls
a n d t he F o o d Tr a ile r s
Second Harvest Food Bank is one of the beneficiaries of the Sunset Hills Lighted Christmas Balls display
and activity event, the Running of the Balls. We obtained a lot of information about food needs in Greensboro, Guilford County and NW NC and we are sharing a portion here. The food we collect goes to other
food banks in the area as well. Among those are Greensboro Urban Ministry and the Friends Food Pantry.
The needs are the same for each and each has its unique distribution and other programs.
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Safety News
By Doug Therbon
Monday, May 9,
we had our
Monthly Crime Watch meeting with
the Greensboro Police Department.
There were a few neat things put
out…..
1) Recording possessions to help in
retrieving them should they be stolen.
The link below takes you to a site
where you may register all your
property. They prefer that you register
by serial number, e.g. from your TV,
but you may also enter numbers that
you have engraved on your items.
One person at the meeting had used
his driver’s license number.
How this works: The Greensboro
Police Department (GPD) has an
agreement with all pawn shops. Pawn
shops are required to try to match the
serial numbers of anything brought
in against this database (the serial
numbers or other ids entered by us
form the database). If there is a hit,
the police buy the item back from the
pawn shop. That way the pawn shop
has no loss. Because all items bought
by a pawn show have the seller’s
ID, the police can then go after the
presumed thief. The police department recovers the money from the court fees.
So how about jewelry that is stolen from you???? Well, all the places in Greensboro that buy jewelry, whether
to resell or melt it down, have an agreement with the GPD as well. If you take photos of your jewelry you can
either put them online yourself, or at the time of theft, give them to the police who will enter them. The shops
will get copies of the ID’s of sellers in their shops and view the stolen images looking for matches of stolen items.
If found, they can recoup their money from the police who will again get the money back from the seller.
In both cases the police will always get their money back from the court fees. Sometimes they can also prove
theft, but always possession of stolen goods. Take a look at the site and take the time to enter the serial numbers
of your items.
https://reportit.leadsonline.com/
2) Maps of crime occurrences
The reason I have not posted graphics of trending or changing numbers of crimes in our area is because the crime
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mapping website is not owned by Greensboro. Its a national crime mapping website that Greensboro is not the
best at updating. It does link to a Greensboro website where crime reports can be viewed but they acknowledge
that the system is far from perfect. I have asked them to look into improving the site and will push for it.
This is the website I use for those of you who want to look things up yourselves.
http://www.crimemapping.com/
3) Where the police department patrols
The new Captain of the neighborhood resource officers was in attendance Monday and explained how the
GPD determines where to send patrolmen. Push pins/dots on each reportable crime are placed on a map.
If they see a trend or concentration of crimes they dedicate more resources to that area. This brings me to
the point of “PLEASE REPORT CRIMES” and “SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY”. The captain asked that we please
report any criminal activity so they can apply the proper resources to the needed areas. Even if it’s a day or
two late, or even a week, please report the crime. They can still get it mapped and that could bring more
drive by’s in our area.
4) Bike theft
Six more bikes were stolen this past month. None were from our area.
We had a much better month than last month.
Keep up the good work locking your car doors and garage doors.
Everyone take care and be safe.
Scott Michaels
Your REALTOR
Phone: 336-202-2641
Scott.Michaels@allentate.com
www.allentate.com/ScottMichaels
I love living in Sunset Hills and I want to
help you buy or sell your next home in
our neighborhood.
My most recent Sunset Hills listings
have gone under contract
in less than 48 hours!
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The Virtual Reality Reality
By Greg Potter
Part I – So What? Birth of a New Medium
My eyelashes graze the glass lens in front of them, my face pressed against the surrounding shroud that obscures
my physical reality from view. I am entranced with the moving images shining into my eyes. I am transported from
the bounds of my actual reality – an escape to the world flashing in front of my view. It feels as though I could reach
out and touch the scene in front of me. I fall deeper into this feeling and reach out, only to be brought back to reality
as my hand abruptly and somewhat painfully runs into the wooden box in front of me. This is truly a new medium
– the birth of a new art form, a new way of telling stories. Make note of this year, because it is a momentous one.
1893, the year I looked into a box and saw the future – a future of motion pictures.
Humans are storytellers, and humans are story lovers. We always have been. We desire to form some sense of
structure around our lives in order to process them. Our self image is nothing more than a narrative we repeat
to ourselves, much in the way stories were repeated through the generations before the advent of widespread
reading and writing; the story changing ever so slightly with every new repetition.
Humans are also explorers, and we’ve certainly taken to exploring new boundaries to tell stories throughout
our existence. Traditions of aural storytelling, battles with bison drawn out on cave walls, written word, music,
dance, sculpture, movies… we’ve conglomerated quite the assortment of ways to tell stories – new ways of
sharing our experiences, both real and imagined, and our stories live perhaps longer than any other part of us.
Just look at The Epic of Gilgamesh, millennia old.
Each of the ways in which we tell stories have grown and found their own strengths and weaknesses, and with
every dawn of a new medium, we have gained an entirely new way of communicating with each other – a whole
new kind of language of expression. It is this new way of interacting and altering each other that makes the birth
of a new medium so exciting and so historically impactful.
Since the introduction of motion pictures, we’ve only really gained one new populous medium, and it is just
now finding its voice: video games. Cinema had become the dominant medium of our time, at least from a
fiscal sense, over its first century of existence, but video games have quickly grown in their first half century of
existence to rival and even overtake the cinema industry by many fiscal metrics. Particularly in the last decade,
we have seen video games reach far more widespread appeal beyond a niche audience through diversification
of genre, form and shape factors, and monetization schemes.
I bring this to light, because virtual reality is going to be far more than just video games, and I mean that not only
from a content standpoint, but also in its far reaching impacts on society. This outlook could be quite muddied
to virgin eyes, as the first generation devices out on the market now are primarily being marketed as gaming
devices, but look no further than Facebook, which owns the virtual reality company Oculus, to see that there is
more at play here.
The current focus on gaming is merely a strategy to attract early adopters to the technology who will help
mold and refine it into something more palatable for the general population. This is the first baby step of a new
medium that may grow into something as societally impactful as the internet, especially with the inclusion of
augmented reality (in which a virtual view is overlaid on the real world) under the umbrella of virtual reality.
Some areas that virtual reality will expand into are scientific visualization (for use by doctors, students, rocket
scientists, etc.), remote social presence (a physically interactive Skype replacement), virtual tourism (explore
places you can’t get to), new forms of narrative entertainment (movies where you are actually there in the scene
with characters, and can mildly interact with them and objects around you.), dangerous work environment
simulation (for training workers with the necessary skills to prevent accidents), and really many, many more.
These are just some areas in which virtual reality with go in the next few years. It will go far beyond these into
areas that we can’t fathom yet. Virtual reality should be on your radar, because it is going to be a very big thing,
and it will affect your life, even, if only, indirectly.
(continued on Page 24)
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(continued from Page 22)
Part II – Why Now? Technology Soup
From the acoustic design of theaters in ancient Greece, to the printing press, to the advent of home computers;
new mediums tend to come via new technologies, and more specifically, they tend to come to the greater
population as those technologies mature into the affordability of everyday people. This brings us to the question
of Why now?. What about our current time makes it ripe for virtual reality to finally take its first steps into the
world of mass media?
Consumer level drones: those flying machines with propellers turning, ready to help you get into aerial
videography, have fun racing your friends, or possibly even deliver your next Amazon package. They are a
politically hot topic right now, because the same technologies that have matured to the populous-fiscalopportunity stage to make consumer level drones possible, are the same technologies that make Now the time
for the virtual-reality reality. It mostly comes down to two things: the miniaturization of computers, and the
mass market created by smartphones for small pixel dense screens and sensor technologies.
The real start of the miniaturization of computers came with the invention of the transistor. Transistors are what
are now used as the basis for processing the binary 1s and 0s that computers use for storing and processing
information. They replaced the much bulkier and less efficient vacuum tubes that came before them, and a large
part of computer advancement since their introduction has been based around making them smaller, more
efficient, and cheaper.
This steady advancement of miniaturization lead to the coining of Moore’s Law: the observation that the density
of transistors you can pack into an integrated circuit, doubles about every two years. To get across how small we
are starting to make transistors, we are getting to a point where Moore’s Law is slowing because transistors are
getting so small that we have to deal with phenomena at the size of atoms. This poses not only manufacturing
hurdles, but also physics hurdles, as we approach singular atom scales. The physics of how electrons move
and interact changes at this scale. All of this, suffice it to say that with all of the R&D poured into making our
computers smaller, faster, and more efficient, computers have reached a stage where they can process graphics
fast enough for virtual reality devices.
This miniaturization of computers also led to the existence of smartphones. As we could fit more processing
power and storage in ever smaller form factors, we reached a point where handheld devices became a smooth
enough experience for the everyday user. The explosion of the smartphone market with the introduction of the
iPhone set the stage for the form smartphones have taken since. This includes a design centered around a form
factor filling display, a camera, and included sensors such as accelerometers and gyroscopes for sensing device
orientation and movement.
The giant market created by smartphones lead to a lot of R&D going into these areas, which in turn improved
their quality and lowered their cost. Most importantly, the screens used by smartphones became far more pixel
dense, able to produce a more detailed image, and this directly transferred to the display technology needed
for virtual reality, where you want a small screen, with a high pixel density. The development of these screens,
along with the various sensors used in smartphones, that came with explosion of the smartphone market, was
the last puzzle piece needed for making virtual reality a reality, and is why the
first virtual reality devices are coming on to market right now.
Greg Potter is a lifelong resident of Sunset Hills, son of Carole and Chip Potter. He
graduated in December from GTCC with an AAS in Simulation and Game Design,
and also in Entertainment Technology - Sound Engineering. He also attended
Minnesota State College Southeast Tech where he earned a Diploma in Guitar
Building and Repair. He plays mandolin, guitar, bass, trumpet, sax, and French horn,
as well as composing music.
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Membership Report as of May, 2016
By Elaine Brune
Haven’t paid your dues yet? Send a check made out to SHNA for $10.00 to me, Elaine Brune, 2504 Sylvan Road
or you can pay using PayPal. The link is found on our website under Calendar and again under Email Listserv. http://www.sunsethillsneighborhood.org/calendar.html. For households with multiple last names or if
you want your name listed differently than on the check, please let me know. Any questions or comments, email
me at sunsethillsgsonc@gmail.com or call 336 378 1990.
Dues are $10. Our fiscal year is January to December, and dues are for the current year only. Any additional
amount is considered a contribution. Membership entitles you to use the listserv, a wonderful way to stay in touch
with the neighborhood, ask for help, sell/give away stuff, get vendor recommendations from your neighbors, and
help reunite the occasional lost dog/cat/bird/keys with its frantic owner. Dues are also used to pay for this newsletter, social events in the neighborhood, and special projects needed to keep our neighborhood a great community.
As of May 12 we have 229 paid households. Many people took advantage of the envelope that came in the February newsletter and mailed their dues to Emily Brune. This should have been Elaine Brune, but I accepted your
money anyway. Thank You!
Thanks to everyone listed below for their dues. Names that are in bold and * also made a donation. Thanks to
all of you. And welcome new members!
Audrey Albright
Diane Cashion*
James & Susan Gentry
Ellen Ammirato
Brigitte Chauvigne*
Cheri George*
Robert Arnett
George & Frances Cheek*
Susan McMullen & Bob Gingher
Anne Ashby*
Sam & Sarah Cook
Michelle Togut & Vladimir Goldenberg*
Maureen O’Keefe & Paul Ashby
Lee Comer
Daniel & Stephanie Goodrich
Karen Hill & Don Atkinson
Catherine Crowder
Brooks Graham
Peggy Auten
Stephen Culkin*
Melissa Greer*
Diane Aycock
Joe & June Curlott Curlott
Elaine Talbert & Ken Gruber*
Lee & Denise Baker
Bradley & Margaret Davis
David & Terri Hammer
Elaine Brune & Roger Bardsley
Corbett & Florence Davis
Janis Hammett
Greg Barbour
Rick & Carol Diehl
Graeme & Catherine Hampton
Vance & June Barron*
Kevin & Cindy Dollar
Scott & Jane Harkey
Beverley Gass & Anthony Bartholomew
Pamela Frye & Connie Dupree
Linda Goolsby & Dana Harris
Carl & Linda Bass
Rodger & LuAnn Durham
Pricey Harrison
Dezree Bass
David & Robin Elder
Scott & Jennifer Hazzard
Julie Carlson & Mark Bates
James & Patricia Elder
Jeffrey & Linda Hayes
Sarah Beale
Jim & Kathi Ellis
Alice Haddy & Ed Hellen
Gregory & Santiya Bell
Energy Reduction Specialists
Harvey & Emily Herman
John & Charlotte Bernard*
John & Linda Englar
Madeline Hodge*
Reto & Emmy Biaggi
James Ennis
Steve & Savannah Holbrook*
Barbara Blowe
Betty Everhart
Bonnie Holland
David & Ellanore Brauneis
Stephanie Fannin*
Z & Charlene Holler*
Lee & Betsy Brodeur
Steven & Erin Farney
Anne Beatty & Adam Holliday
Nick & Ronni Brownlee
James & Marnie Fenley
Bobbi Hoover*
Stephen & Deborah Bryant
Bill Johnston & Tom Fitzgerald*
Mary Louise Smith & Cheryl Hopkins*
Chris & Mary Anne Busch*
Ginny Forbis*
Troy & Sarah Hopkins
James & Cindy Butner*
Jack & Annette Garvey
Elizabeth Hoadley & Aldo Hubert*
Chris & Sandra Canipe
Judy Gerhardt
Anthony & Stephanie Hudnell
Cynthia Carrington
Nadia Hassan & Mat Gendle
David Hudson
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Raymond & Nancy Hunt
Keith & Deborah Monroe
Brittany Semones*
David & Alicia Irwin
Jason & Paula Monsees
Margaret, Matthew & Leonora Sharpe*
Robert & Mary Jacke
Michelle Morton
Deborah Shiner
Maggie Jeffus*
Reed & Verna Morgan
Frank & Kelley Shepherd
Kimber Johnson
Aaron & Wendy Morrow
Will & Margee Shore
Larry & Susan Johnston*
Dan & Joy Moore
Thomas & Wendy Sibley
Bobby Jones
Phil & Mary Mac Moore
Leo Rodriguez & Dennis Slaughter
Paige McCall & Jacob Jones
Karen Stout &Deborah Mott
Susan Slocum
Percy & Nora Jones*
Gayle Nantz
Joe & Barbara Small
Todd Jones
Ron & Mona Neal
Emily Hass & Andrew Smith
Kevin & Kristine Kattmann
Teri Nelson*
Mark & Lynn Smith
Paul & Janet Kershaw
Buzz & Martha Newland
Michael & Deborah Smith
James Kernodle*
Alan & Cindy Oakley
Carolyn Shankle & Moreland Smith
Mike & Laura Kilpatrick
Todd & Laura Oxner
Jane Younts & Wayne Smith
Horace & Cathy Kimel
Eric & Donna Patton
Michelle & Joseph Soler
Reaves King
Philip Pearman
Jonathan & Vickie Sparrow*
Reid King
Mike & Mary Pendergraft
James & Catherine Spessard
Tom & Noel Kirby-Smith
Carl & Helen Phillips
Mike & Leslie Stainback
Bill & Pam Knight
Jim & Susan Phillips*
Michiko Stavert*
Daniel & Jennifer Koenig
Michael & Joanna Phillips
Jim & Janet Stenersen
Joe & Kelli Kopiec
Tom & Lisa Pickard*
Drayton & Jane Stott
Jonathan & Kathryn Kreider
Al & Billie Pierce
Andy & Marti Sykes
Derrick & Anne Lankford
Jerry & Deborah Pifer
James & Kesha Talbert
Carolyn Lasek
Larry & Gerry Pike
Scott & Jackie Tanseer
Gary & Jane Law*
Donna Plyler Family
Josh & Jennifer Tarlton
Geoffrey Lawson
Carole & Chip Potter
Craig & Anna Taylor
Kathy Lautermilch
Kevin & Eileen Prufer
Team Leung
E Jackson Lee
Marlene Pratto
Jody & Lynn Tester
Ronald & Emarita Leitner
David Thompson & Cassidy Price*
Doug & Karen Thurbon
Rebekah Lee & Eleanor Link
Betty Purcell
Paul & Robin Timmins
Lillian Lovings
Quaintance Weaver
Gerry Alfano & Merrill Tisdel*
Harley & Mollie Lyles
Lenox Rawlings
Tom & Lisa Tunstall
Charles & Anne Lyons*
Aubrey & Britney Ravenel
Gloria Turbington
Ronald & Kathryn Mack*
Keegan & Kristi Ray
Michael & Adrianne Trainor*
Mad Hatter
Debbie Kipp & Larry Ray
Deborah Koper & Steven Truitt
Tom & Kathy Martinek*
Bradford & Anne Reaves*
University Animal Hospital
John & Patricia Martinez
Linda Hiatt & Peter Reichard
Paul & Judy Walmsley
Eric & Calliste Mansell*
Virgil & Caroline Renfroe
Herb & Ellen Wells*
John & Liz Mayer
Loyd & Libby Rich
Christine Morris & Jeffery West
The McCoy Team
Sharon Weber & Mike Roberto
Jeff & Becca Whitworth*
Jim & Karen McCullough
Heather Gert & John Roberts
Wayne & Gail Whitworth*
Amanda McGehee
Marlene Talley & Edward Robinson
James & Janet Windham*
Marcia McHenry
Henry & Donna Robinson
Leighsa Windsor
Calvin & Kerry Meyers
Leigh & Melanie Rodenbough
Judy Woelfel
Steven Willis & Scott Michaels
Gary & Lee Rogers
Joe Woolard III
LeAnne Brugh Miller
Annie Rouse
Beth Woody & Randy Yardley
Jane Mitchell
Jeri & Katherine Rowe
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